Method of forming a brassiere cup
A method of forming a brassiere cup with a flexible plastics support feature includes providing a mould for forming the brassiere cup with a trough where the support feature is to be formed, laying down in the mould material from which the brassiere cup is to be formed such that some of the material extends into the trough, locating plastics material upon the material that extends into the trough so as to partially fill the trough with plastics material, and applying heat sufficient to soften the plastics material such that the plastics material consolidates into a desired shape as defined by the shape of the trough.
The present invention relates to brassieres. The invention more particularly, although not exclusively, relates to a method of forming a brassiere cup with a special plastics underwire and/or other support features.
Known brassieres have a stiff metallic underwire sewn into the bottom of each cup. Such underwires provide an adequate level of support but are uncomfortable, unsightly and can protrude from the brassiere after a time of use. Such metallic underwires are also of constant cross-section and stiffness throughout their length and therefore do not provide a desired level of variable support throughout their length.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTIONIt is an object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the above disadvantages and/or more generally to provide method of forming a brassiere cup having a plastics support feature therein.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTIONThere is disclosed herein a method of forming a brassiere part with a plastics support feature, comprising:
providing a mould for forming the brassiere part with a trough where the support feature is to be formed,
laying down in the mould material from which the brassiere part is to be formed such that some of the material extends into the trough,
locating plastics material upon the material that extends into the trough so as to partially fill the trough with plastics material, and
applying heat sufficient to soften the plastics material such that the plastics material consolidates into a desired shape as defined by the shape of the trough.
Preferably, said brassiere part is a cup and said support feature is an underwire and the trough is elongate and graduates from a minimum transverse dimension at one end thereof to a maximum transverse dimension at the other end thereof, are wherein the plastics material consolidates in the trough to form the underwire of variable width and/or depth from one end thereof to the other.
Preferably, the plastics material is located in the trough in granular form.
Preferably, the method further comprises the step of laying down further layer(s) of material from which the brassiere cup is to be formed so as to cover the plastic material in the trough before the step of applying heat.
Preferably, the underwire is of variable flexibility (and therefore a perception of variable firmess or hardness) from said one end thereof to the other.
Preferred forms of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
In
An underwire 11 is shown in
One end of the underwire (typically the end closest to the wearer's shoulder) is the thickest, whereas the other end of the underwire (typically the end nearest the wearer's sternum) is the thinnest. This provides a gradual reduction in stiffness of the underwire along its length. In order to finely tune the degree of support and comfort along the length of the underwire, differing materials and material thicknesses may be adopted. Indeed different configurations might be required for different cup sizes to suit the anatomy of different women.
The underwire 11 is typically formed in and located at a transition position between the cup and the front band of the brassiere. The underwire would be orientated with its flatter side facing the body of the wearer so that the convex side of the underwire faces outwardly away from the body. The brassiere cup might be formed as a lamination of foam plastics material—between layers of which the underwire 11 is located.
Features 12, 14 and 17 shown in
It should be appreciated that modifications and alterations obvious to those skilled in the art are not to be considered as beyond the scope of the present invention. For example, rather than using granular plastics material in the method of forming the underwire, continuous variable-length strips of plastics material could be laid one upon another in stepwise manner such that thickness of the material varies from one end to the other. These layers could then be melded together upon the application of heat and pressure to remove any steps between the layers.
Claims
1. A method of forming a brassiere part with a plastics support feature, comprising:
- providing a mould for forming the brassiere part with a trough where the support feature is to be formed,
- laying down in the mould material from which the brassiere part is to be formed such that some of the material extends into the trough,
- locating plastics material upon the material that extends into the trough so as to partially fill the trough with plastics material, and
- applying heat sufficient to soften the plastics material such that the plastics material consolidates into a desired shape as defined by the shape of the trough.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said brassiere part is a cup and said support feature is an underwire and the trough is elongate and graduates from a minimum transverse dimension at one end thereof to a maximum transverse dimension at the other end thereof, are wherein the plastics material consolidates in the trough to form the underwire of variable width and/or depth from one end thereof to the other.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plastics material is located in the trough in granular form.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of laying down further layer(s) of material from which the brassiere cup is to be formed so as to cover the plastic material in the trough before the step of applying heat.
5. The method of claim 2, wherein the underwire is of variable flexibility from said one end thereof to the other.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 12, 2007
Publication Date: Mar 27, 2008
Inventor: Ho Yau Wan (Hong Kong)
Application Number: 11/706,824
International Classification: B29C 63/22 (20060101); A41C 3/12 (20060101);